


Steadying Breaths

by Cila



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Family, Family Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:55:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21918694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cila/pseuds/Cila
Summary: Hermione has spent years researching how to bring back her parents' memories and maybe Christmas is finally the right moment to use the spell.
Kudos: 2





	Steadying Breaths

_1 - 2 - 3 - 4 in... 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 out..._

Hermione counted her breaths to steady herself. They might still not remember her. They might not recognize her at all. She fought down the grief and panic of those thoughts and tried to focus on breathing.

_1 - 2 - 3 - 4 in... 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 out…_

She opened her eyes took in her reflection in the mirror. She was sitting alone in the silence of her small flat at her small vanity littered in hair potions, tubes of lipstick in varying subtle shades, and letters of love and encouragement from Ron and Harry. Her sad eyes stared back at her and without thinking she reached out to touch the cool surface where she could see the echoes of her mother’s nose, her father’s eyes, her father’s cheekbones, her mother’s hair. In only a few hours she would see the originals and perform the spell she had researched intensively for the past six years that might restore at least some of her parents’ memories of her. 

Snow fell silently outside her window and Hermione closed her eyes again against the memories of the season. The concentration of clear good memories this time of year was the reason it had to be done today. Trips to France together. Sledding down the hill into the neighbor’s garden and laughing all the way even as old Mr. Roberts shook his finger at them. Christmas had always been a special time to the Grangers, and now it was Hermione’s best chance to get her family back. 

Gripping her wand so tightly under her cloak that her knuckles turned white, Hermione made her way to her childhood home. Getting her parents back to England had been no easy task, but they were back. It had taken countless letters and spelled advertisements to convince them that England was waiting for their return home. But they were back. 

Hermione knocked on the door stiffly and had only a moment to brace herself before her mother opened the door her expression shifting quickly to confusion. 

“Can I help you?”

Hermione took a breath and did not falter over the script she had prepared with Ron and Harry. “Hello, Mrs. Wilkins. I was sent over by your attorney with some papers to sign now that you’ve returned. Just dotting i’s and crossing t’s. May I come in?”

“Of course, dear.” Her face broke into a smile. “Come on in. May I offer you a cup of tea?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Hermione heard her father call to his wife asking who was at the door. She waited, scarcely daring to move as she called back to him to join them in the kitchen to meet with the young lady from the lawyer’s office. When they were both there sitting at the table with steaming cups of tea, Hermione put some papers in front of them and while they were distracted she withdrew her wand and cast the spell. 

“ _Memorandi_ ,” she whispered as she moved her wand through the complex design she had practised. 

For a moment nothing happened. Then they both started rubbing their temples with their eyes screwed shut.

“Is everything alright?” Hermione asked, still keeping her professional demeanor in case it hadn’t worked. Her mother opened her eyes and the confusion began to change into recognition and maybe even some relief.

“Hermione? What happened?”

“Mum!” Hermione lost all her composure and ran into her mother’s arms. Suddenly there were two pairs of arms wrapped around her. “I missed you so much,” she murmured as tears flowed into the shoulder of Jean Granger’s sweater.

“How long has it been?” Her father sounded bewildered and Hermione almost laughed from relief.

“Too long. I’ll tell you everything soon.”

“Will you stay for dinner? Christmas is a time for family, after all.”

“I thought you’d never ask.” 

The sigh of relief and contentment after Hermione’s acceptance was one they all let out together. They were home at last.


End file.
